A Shattered Emerald
by MysteryCo
Summary: Beast boy has been experiencing increasingly odd conditions happening to his body. Nightmares, body aches and reduced senses are just the beginning as he begins to realize that something terrible is happening to him. Can the Titans help their green friend find the answers to his increasingly dire situation or will they be forced to say goodbye to the changeling?
1. Chapter 1 - Sleepless Nights

A/N: Hello everyone!

This Fic is something I came up with over the past few weeks but I wasn't really sure if I was willing to take the time to actually write it out and publish it. Still kind of unsure if I'll pursue it to completion but if it's enjoyed by the public I'll write it out.

Obviously the standard disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or any of it's copyrights or affiliates. This story is published strictly for personal enjoyment and is not used for monetary gain.

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A warm summer breeze gently rolled over the dimly lit streets of Jump City and across the bay towards Titan Tower. The massive structure stood silently against the horizon, eerily illuminated by the moonlight the blanketed the city. Within its walls laid the five young heroes know as the Titans, peacefully enjoying their slumber after a hard days work. One Titan, however, was tossing fitfully in his sleep; with terrifying images of gore and death plaguing his dreams and warping them into nightmares. The last image he saw before he shot upright in his bed while releasing a yelp of terror was his gloved hands, claws piercing through their fabric and fast approaching his teammates.

Beast boy scanned his surroundings for immediate danger while tensing his muscles and preparing for a fight. He quickly realized that his animalistic instincts were provoking his fight or flight response and began to speedily real them in. Taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat off his brow, he closed his eyes and retook control of his powers. Being awoken from sleep with nightmares had always been a tricky situation for Beast boy. The instincts of his inner animals were always quick to respond when awoken so suddenly, while his human brain always took a moment to take in the situation before reacting.

Begrudgingly he opened his eyes and looked to the digital alarm clock by his bedside that was silently cast a dim, green light over the room. Quietly muttering something incoherent under his breath after reading the clock face he threw his sweat dampened blankets aside and hopped down from his top bunk. He landed with an almost inaudible thump, grabbed his uniform top from off the bottom bunk and began to make his way to the kitchen. His padded footsteps made no sound as he trudged his way through the hallway and was soon jarred from his thoughts by the gentle hiss of the hydraulic doors that led into the kitchen. He strolled behind the kitchen counter, retrieved a glass and began to fill it up with water when a calm and emotionless voice called out to him from the darkness.

"I'm surprised you're conscious this early." The voice came from a figure that currently stood before the living room windows, the gentle moonlight cascading in appearing to cause the figures silhouette to glow a dim blue.

Beast boyboy jumped from the sudden voice, causing him to splash a small amount of water on the front of his shirt. Albeit surprised, he recognized the voice immediately and responded with a bit more irritation than he intended. "Jeez Raven! Think you could cough or clear your throat or something? You scared the crap outta me."

"Well excuse me for speaking," Raven spat back "What's your issue this morning?" Raven calmly floated over from the window and towards the kitchen. Although the lighting was minimal, Beast boy's exceptional eyesight could make out he pale skin and deadpan expression perfectly.

Reeling in his emotions, Beast boy responded in his usual tone. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you. Had another nightmare and I guess I'm a bit on edge still."

" _Another_ nightmare? Have you been having a lot of nightmares recently?" Raven questioned, her curiosity obviously peaked.

Beast boy silently scolded himself for his wording. Truth be told he'd been having these nightmares on and off for well over two weeks but hadn't told anyone simply because he didn't want to make them concerned. Doing his best to think on his feet, he made up a simple excuse for his previous response. "Uhh… yeah… I had one last night too… I should probably lay off the junk food right before bed huh? heh heh…"

Raven looked at Beast boy curiously for a moment while he absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head. Appearing to accept his excuse she responded calmly. "You should probably lay off the junk food _period,_ but if you're looking to rot out your innards that's your choice. It's late, I'm going to go get some rest… try not to make too much of a mess down here, I'd really prefer not to step in a puddle first thing when I wake up."

Beast boy looked down at his shirt and chuckled. "Sure thing Rae, I'll keep it clean… hey wait, why are you down here anyways? It's like two in the morning."

At this point Raven had already made her way to the kitchen door and stood before it's opening. "It's Raven." She said without turning around; then she continued on her way, the doors gently hissing closed behind her.

The remainder of the evening passed by without any further incident and soon the stirrings of activity filled the Titans Tower as the sun began to rise and warm the surface of the city with it's morning rays. Cyborg was busy in the kitchen, humming an energetic tune while cooking up a hearty breakfast for the Titans. Robin and Starfire were currently chatting away about this and that while seated shoulder to shoulder at the dining table. Raven was silently drinking her chamomile tea; comfortably seated on the couch while her lavender eyes zipped across the pages of the heavy tome that levitated before her. Beast boy, however, remained absent from the current gathering of the titans although this was not much of a shock to them. He had always been a late sleeper and typically didn't drag himself into public view until well into breakfast.

Back in his room, Beast boy's eyes slowly flittered open as the suns rays finally managed to snake past his shades and land upon the green teens slowly waking form. Knowing his time for slumber had reached it's end, Beast boy tossed aside his coverings and hopped once again downwards from his top bunk. His landing was far less graceful then the previous evening; making a seemingly thunderous thud and causing his knees to buckle beneath him. His hands shot speedily before him to stop his decent as a strange ache began to permeate throughout his bones and muscles. He remained in this position for a moment while he questioned the situation internally.

 _'That's weird, I've never not landed that jump before; And what's with the aching? I didn't think I took that many hits against Dr. Light yesterday; especially after Raven when all demon form on his butt.'_ It was at this point that Beast boy's stomach began to rumble and he realized just how hungry he had become. _'You know what, I'm chalking this up to a groggy landing and overexertion yesterday… yeah that sounds pretty logical… alright, food time!'_

Beast boy willed away his aches and rose to his feet once again, grabbing his clothing and making his way to the kitchen to grab some food for his grumbling stomach. His footsteps quickly faded into the background as he walked further away, leaving his room in eerie silence and a short set of claw marks in his upper mattress unnoticed.

* * *

And there it is folks, sorry if it's a tad bit short but it's mostly just to get my feelers out there to see if there's any interest in the story.  
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

-Mr. Rico


	2. Chapter 2 - Sudden Silence

A/N: Hello again!

I'm not typically one for double updates in one day but I walked away from chapter one and just couldn't leave it be without beefing up the plot line a little bit more, you know? Drove me batty TBH, lol.

Anywhoo; here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything in relation to it. This fanfiction is strictly for entertainment and is not being used for monetary gain.

* * *

"Good morning Beast boy, sleep well?" Robin commented as soon as Beast boy walked into the kitchen.

Recalling portions of that nights terrible dreams Beast boy involuntarily paused for a moment before responding. "Pretty good, nothing to complain about." It was only after he had spoken that he remembered his interactions with Raven, who happened to be sitting in the same room. Thankfully she either didn't hear him or didn't care enough to respond because that point went unspoken by the young empath.

Robin smiled slightly before continuing with their conversation, "Well that's good because we have a training session today in the gym."

Raven's eye twitched slightly and Starfire giggled quietly as Beast boy released an exasperated groan that loudly filled the room. "Aww come on Robin! We just beat down Dr. Light yesterday, doesn't that count?!"

Robin's smile quickly diminished and was replaced by his standard stern leader face. "No it doesn't count Beast Boy, crime never stops and neither do we. We need to be prepared and at our peak at all times… besides, Raven basically whooped Dr. Light by just looking at him. I hardly think that counts as physical training."

"Come on B, it's not going to kill you to get a little extra exercise. Tell you what, go through training without whining up a storm and I'll gladly kick your butt at Mega Monkeys later." Cyborg chimed in with a taunting tone in his voice. He had planned on hitting up the Gamestation later anyways, but if it stopped the changeling from complaining about training it was worth a shot.

Beast boy's sudden change in demeanor was an immediate sign that he'd taken Cyborg's bait. "You're on tin man! Don't think for a second I'm taking it easy on you this time either!"

Cyborg laughed as he crammed the remainder of his breakfast in his mouth. "Take it easy huh? Is that why you were sweating up a storm last time I won?" He continued to laugh as he brought his plate to the sink and put it away. He turned to find that the now grumpy changeling had jumped up on the counter was was crouched down to be eye level with Cyborg.

"It's summer time and I was hot! You're going down you bucket of bolts!" Beast boy exclaimed.

A moment later a thin strip of black energy wrapped itself around Cyborg and Beast boy's mouths, effectively silencing them both and halting the argument entirely. Raven spoke calmly from the living room in her usual monotone. "You two really need to learn to calm yourselves or at least learn what volume control is. Robin… what time does training start?"

Watching the two friends struggle against the black bonds, Robin couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he spoke. "We'll start mid-afternoon, Let's say one o'clock in the gym."

Content with his answer, Raven stood up and grasped her floating tome as the black magic dissipated from around it. "I'll be meditating until then, no interruptions." The last two words were obviously pointed directly at Beast boy who immediately shrugged and mumbled something beneath his black mouth binding. Raven simply rolled her eyes and disappeared into a portal that opened beneath her. The black bonds around the boys mouths vanished almost immediately after her departure.

"Friends, why do you yell at each other so often? If you do not enjoy the playing of games then why continue to play?" Starfire asked with genuine curiosity.

"Don't worry Star, we're just being overly competitive… the little grass stain and I are still buddies." Cyborg said as he grabbed his green friend in a gentle headlock and began to ruffle up his hair.

"Gah! Cy! Lemme go!" Despite his best efforts, Beast boy was locked in Cyborg's grip.

Star fire seemed happy with Cyborg's response and began to giggle at the two's friendly battle. The day continued on with lunch being quickly devoured by all and everyone went about their own business until the time for training had finally come. Training sessions were a standard in the Titan's schedule and were rarely repetitive; ranging in activities from sparring to obstacle courses or weight lifting to endurance training. Often times each titan had their own training regiment set to attend to, all thanks to their diligent leader's design. Today was a fairly simple training day for the titans as each member had their own individual task to accomplish. Raven and Starfire were in target practice, Cyborg in weight lifting, Robin was shadow boxing and Beast boy had endurance training on a treadmill.

Each Titan pushed themselves to do their best as usual and before long, their training session was almost complete. Cyborg had finished pumping out his reps and Robin had beaten his training dummy into disrepair. The two stood back and rooted Beast boy on as he morphed into faster and faster creatures to keep up with the treadmills ever increasing speed. Soon enough Raven and Starfire joined the boys in resting; Starfire happily joining in the cheering on of her green companion.

Beast boy was having a rough time today though, and with every transformation his body beckoned him to stop. Again the changeling morphed, and again a sharp pang of pain tore through his body but he continued on after seeing he was mere minutes away from being done. Beast boy kept pushing his body to run, to breathe, to morph… but in his final transformation he felt something snap. Unlike a torn muscle or broken bone, the pain seemed to come from everywhere; as though his blood had caught ablaze. He felt as though his body was a rubber band that had been stretched to it's limit and, much like a rubber band that is finally released from strain, he involuntarily reverted back to his original form… a human. Unfortunately for Beast boy, his already taxed and pained human form couldn't even come close to keeping up with the speeding treadmill below his feet. In one swift motion, the changeling's feet were swept out from beneath him and his body was launched several feet across the room. Beast boy skidded to a stop near an opposing wall and lay there unable to move as the agony within him slowly began to subside.

Almost in perfect unison his teammates cried out in shock at the sudden collapse of their friend and quickly ran to his side. Robin was the first to reach him and immediately began to take charge of the situation. "Beast boy are you alright? Can you move?" Robin asked as panic seeped into his voice. When all he received in response was a slack jawed, pain-filled look from the young titan, Robin swiftly turned to Cyborg. "Cyborg get him down to the med bay now!"

Cyborg gently scooped up his smaller friend's limp form and immediately began to make a break for the medical bay. Raven and Starfire followed closely behind Cyborg, leaving Robin standing in the gym alone and confused about the preceding event. As he pondered over what might have happened to his friend that could cause him to collapse like that, a gentle beeping suddenly caught his attention. Turning towards the sound he noted that the treadmill was slowing down and then stopping altogether. The beeping was the end of the training cycle and quietly he muttered to himself out of habit, but regretted it immediately as a chill ran down his spine…

"Times up Beast boy."

* * *

Much better! Now there's a bit more story to cling to. Woot!

Lemme know what you think!

See you next time!

-Mr. Rico


	3. Chapter 3 - Tough Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. This FanFiction is for entertainment purposes only and is not used for monetary gain.

* * *

 _Beast boy looked around himself in complete confusion. There was nothing but darkness here, not shadows but a complete absence of light. Looking down he took note that the floor was encased in darkness as well and it almost immediately threw off his equilibrium. Looking at his hands, however, he noted that his form was illuminated as though he were standing in the midday sun._

" _Where am I?" Beast boy quietly asked himself aloud as he cautiously took a step forward. His shoe landed solidly upon whatever floor there was here but made no noise, as though the air around him was being silenced. "This place is too strange."_

 _A voice spoke from the depths of the void around him, quiet as a whisper yet echoing all around him. "Do you not recognize the recesses of your own mind Garfield?"_

" _What? Who are you? What do you mean?" Beast boy questioned rapidly as he spun around to try and locate the source of the voice._

 _A low and frustrated growl emanated around him before the voice spoke again. "For too long we've been at each others throats Garfield, too long has this tug of war gone on. You tried so hard to dispose of me out of fear of what I would do… but in the end it was you that caused the most damage."_

" _What are you talking about?" Beast boy exclaimed as he began to panic amidst his blackened surroundings. He spun in circles, desperately looking for an exit._

" _You know what I'm speaking of, even if you won't admit it… and you know fully well who I am…"_

 _Beast boy stopped mid turn as he finally made eye contact with the hulking beast that had suddenly appeared behind him. Although all of his instincts screamed to fight or run, all he could do was look into the eyes of the beast as they glowed a brilliant white. Moments later the bright white overtook the world around him and Beast boy's consciousness seemed to slip away from his grasp._

* * *

Slowly Beast boy's eyes began to open, adjusting to the blinding light that filled the room. As his eyes adjusted and his surrounding began visible, Beast boy immediately recognized the medical bay that he was in. He carefully began to raise himself to a sitting position and felt all of his muscles ache from the motion. Looking over he noticed Cyborg hunched over the main computer terminal with his back to Beast boy, obviously unaware that the young changing had awoken.

With a coarse voice Beast boy spoke in just above a whisper. 'How long have I been out?"

Cyborg's head spun around fast enough to give a normal human whiplash and a concerned smile donned his face. "Hey B, how you feeling?"

Beast boy did his best to stretch his aching muscles, but it barely helped. "Gotta say I've been better. What happened anyway? The last thing I can really remember was a lot of pain and feeling like I was flying."

Cyborg cringed slightly at the memory of his small friend's body helplessly flailing across the room after he collapsed on the speeding treadmill. "Well, you collapsed while in the last lap of your endurance training and… well… you can thank the treadmill for the flying feeling."

After quickly realizing what Cyborg meant, Beast boys face dropped significantly, "That explains the rug burn. I'm surprised the others aren't here."

"You've been out for a few hours now, I sent them on their ways a while back. Star gave me a bit of a fight, but I managed to convince her to give you some rest." Cyborg turned back to the terminal and started typing something in as he continued to speak. "If I were to guess; Rae is probably meditating, Star is probably cuddling with Silkie on the couch and I know Robin has been putting in some extra training with the punching bag."

Cyborg finished up his computer work and walked over to Beast boy, calmly beginning to check his vitals. "I've gotta say B, you gave everyone one heck of a shock. You seemed like you were doing great and then boom, you're passed out cold and flying across the room. What happened?"

Beast boy broke eye contact with his friend and began to stare blankly at the floor as he began to recall the events from earlier that day. "I'm not sure Cy, I was a little sore this morning when I woke up and I started feeling pain while I was doing my training. Next thing I know, I tried to morph to get some more speed and my whole body just exploded in so much pain that I just couldn't handle it. I felt myself revert back to my human form and next thing I know I'm waking up in here."

Cyborg looked carefully at his friend before he moved towards a nearby medical cabinet. After some rummaging around, Cyborg returned to Beast boy's bedside with a blood draw kit in hand. "Well I've got to be honest with you B, whatever happened is a lot deeper than a pulled muscle or a bruised bone. I gave you a full physical exam when I brought you down here and, disregarding the injuries caused from the fall, I couldn't actually find any major damage. That is, until I looked deeper, and discovered that many of your internal organs have sustained minor injuries. Given what I've found during your exams and what you've told me, I think I need to do another blood and DNA work-up on you."

Beast boy shuddered at the thought of being stuck with those needles... man did he hate needles. "DNA too? You think something might be wrong with my DNA?"

Cyborg sighed deeply, the look of concern of his face growing more evident. "I hate saying this B, but as of right now, I have no idea what happened to you earlier. Let's start with these tests and we'll see what we find, no sense in getting grim without any evidence, right?"

Beast boy smiled at his friend, but he knew it was a hollow gesture. "You got it tin man. Should we tell the others I'm awake?"

"After I'm done taking your blood I'll be happy to give them a ring for ya." Cyborg said as he began to sterilize a spot on Beast boys arm. A few minutes later and the proper samples had been drawn and stored for later testing. Cyborg then flipped open his forearm and called Robin's communicator, who answered within moments.

"Cyborg, any developments?" Robin asked with a stern yet concerned expression plastered across his face.

"Yeah, B's awake. He's looking alright given the circumstances and is ready for visitors if you want to give the others a heads up." Robins face visibly relaxed as Cyborg relayed the news.

"I'll let the others know and I'm on my way." Robins image disappeared from the small screen and Cyborg closed the compartment in his arm gently. He had barely made it to the edge of Beast boy's bedside when the tower shook slightly and a muffled blast echoed through the halls. Cyborg looked to his friend and smiled widely. "Brace yourself."

Beast boy immediately understood what Cyborg meant as Starfire fly excitedly into the med-bay, almost knocking the door off it's hinges in the process. Without hesitation she embraced the changeling fiercely, relieved that he was awake.

"Oh Beast boy you are awake! I was worried about your injuries but I am joyed that you are feeling better!" Starfire finally released her grip on Beast boy; who inhaled deeply and coughed slightly, happy to have use of his lungs again.

Cyborg looked at the now battered door and ran his hand over his metallic head as repair costs began to calculate in his mind. "Star, did you break the sound barrier again on your way down here?"

Suddenly realized her mistake, Starfire placed her hand on her mouth and looked to her robotic friend. "Oh, yes I may have. I am sorry Cyborg, I got a little too excited when I heard about Beast boy's recovery."

Sighing deeply, Cyborg looked at Starfire calmly. "It's alright Star, I didn't hear any windows break this time so no harm done."

It was at this time that Raven and Robin arrived, both immediately noticing the door in disrepair but neither bothering to comment on it. Robin approached Beast boy with a smile that both expressed relief and concern simultaneously. "How you holding up Beast boy? That was one heck of a tumble you had."

Beast boy chuckled lightly while scratching the back of his head nervously. "I'm a bit sore, but I think I'm alright."

Before long Robin began to delve into his detective role and started asking Beastboy to recap everything that had happened, which he gladly did in the same level of detail he had done for Cyborg. After everything had been conveyed; Robin turned to Cyborg with his stern expression once again in place. "Alright Cyborg, time for the tough question. What are Beast boy's restrictions for the time being?"

Cyborg glanced towards Beast boy and spoke in a serious tone. "Given your current injuries I can clear you to move about freely and sleep in your own bed for the evening. That being said however, I have to recommend that you be temporarily suspended from active duty. No missions and no training until I figure out exactly what happened today." Beast boys groan of disapproval made Cyborg feel even worse for what he had to say next. "I'm sorry Beast boy, but I'm just trying to look out for you. That being said, there is one other stipulation that you're not going to like."

Cyborg breathed in deeply and exhaled calmly as he looked his smaller green friend square in the eyes. "Due to a direct correlation between your current injuries and your ability to morph... I have to recommend that you no longer use your powers until we have figured everything out."

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Woot! Another chapter done!

Well I certainly hope that everyone is enjoying the story thus far. Next chapter we'll find out exactly what's happening to our poor changeling and I'm excited to write it up!

I'm also noticing that my chapter lengths are slowly starting to bulk up, so just bear with me folks.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see ya soon!

-Mr. Rico


	4. Chapter 4 - Vicious Cure

A/N: Hey everyone!

First of all thanks for the reviews, I'm very happy with the progress so far and even happier that everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far.

That being said, I'm all hyped up on coffee and Masterplan so let's do this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This fanfiction is for entertainment only and is not for monetary gain.

* * *

The argument that erupted after Cyborg's ban of Beast boys powers was one that the Titans would surely remember for many years to come; mainly because in all the years they had been together, none of the had ever seen Beast boy downright furious. Sure Beast boy had been angry and he'd had his spats with the others; but when he was told that he couldn't help the team in combat, save those in need or use the abilities that had become part of who he was he just lost it. It took close to three hours and a heated walk around the tower corridors before the Titans finally managed to calm their friend down and get him to agree to Cyborg's terms. Cyborg had informed his friend that finding the reason behind his illness was going to be the only thing that the mechanical man would be focusing on.

After a while they went their separate ways and before long Beast boy's fury faded away, leaving him with an aching body and an overloaded mind. As questions and scenarios ran rampant through his head, his feet continued to move autonomously and eventually he found himself on the rooftop. He stared out over the bay and watched the waves gently lapping at the shoreline in the dim light of the moon. He was soon jarred out of his trance by a soft, monotone voice speaking from behind him.

"Can't sleep again Beast boy?" Raven said as she stood silently behind him, taking in his visibly hunched over form.

"Nope, too much junk rolling around the old noggin." Beast boy's response was all but completely devoid of his usual boisterous tone. Even as he gently tapped on his head to emphasize his words, his actions were slow and lethargic.

Raven noticed his out of character behavior and spoke again as she approached his side. "Mind if I sit with you?" Beast boy calmly gestured for her to sit before returning his gaze to the bay. Gently she sat beside him with her feet dangling over the edge of the tower. "I'm not very good at this Beast boy, but if something is bothering you and you would like to talk I'm willing to listen." Raven mentally cursed how awkward she sounded; but in truth, she was rarely one to volunteer for this sort of thing.

Beast boy turned his eyes towards Raven and looked her over for a moment, as if gauging her seriousness in the matter. A few seconds passed before Beast boy returned his eyes to the bay and began to speak his mind. "I'm scared Raven," Beast boy took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he continued. "I'm scared and I feel completely helpless. I don't think I've ever felt helpless before… but it's terrifying."

Raven turned to look at Beast boy. "I can understand being afraid Beast Boy, I don't believe that many people take news of medical complications without a dose of fear that comes with it. But why helpless?"

Beast boy locked eyes with the empath for a moment, unsure if she was mocking him; but after seeing only genuine concern and curiosity, he answered her question. "My entire being is up in the air Raven, everything I am is dangling over the void by a thread. If Cyborg can't find out what happened to me and how to fix it, the thread snaps. The very life I've come to love will break away and fall into the void." Beast boy's head suddenly sank into his open palms as his voice started to show to inner dismay. "All the while I can't help the team, I can't help find an answer, I can't even use my abilities! All I can do is sit back, watch and hope that everything doesn't fall apart in front of me."

Raven watched over her friend for a moment while mulling over what she could do to help. She soon realized that she was at a loss for words on how to comfort Beast boy and instead shifted to his side and draped her arm over his shoulders. Although he tensed up at her initial touch, he slowly melded into the embrace and the two sat silently looking out over the bay. A few minutes had passed before Raven slowly withdrew her arm and climbed to her feet. "Beast boy; you need to know that no matter what happens, bad or good, we have your back and we will always be your friends. Being a titan isn't about having amazing abilities or super natural powers; it's about being there for your teammates to the best of your abilities, maintaining a higher standard of morals and refusing to back down when times get tough. I know I don't say it much, but you are an amazing teammate and an even better friend to us. No matter what happens, that will never change." Before Beast boy could respond Raven had made her way to the tower entrance and calmly strolled inside, leaving the young changeling alone on the roof feeling just a little less distressed.

While Raven and Beast boy were having their heart to heart, Cyborg was busy in the tower lab keeping his promise. He had run Beast boy's blood sample through all of the usual tests and had come up empty handed with each one. He stared at the screen before him waiting for the DNA analysis to be completed while anxiously tapping his metal fingers on his desk. What seemed like an eternity passed before a soft tone emitted from his computer to alert him of the completed task. Cyborg turned to his computer screen and began to tear through the digital pages of results before him. He rubbed his head in frustration as he continued reading line after line of regular readings.

"I just don't get it! Proteins nominal, enzymes within range, stem-loops minimal… wait…" Cyborg read and reread a single line at least three times before he jumped out of his chair and raced to a nearby set of filing cabinets. "No, no, no… that can't be it, that CAN'T be the reason!" He tore through old files until he came across what he was looking for. Making his way back to his computer, he read a small portion of the older file in his hand.

 _Serum B27-G administered earlier today. Garfield seems to be responding appropriately and aggression levels have dropped significantly. Continued monitoring advised, but according to page 4, section 3; everything appears to be going as expected._

 _'Serum B27-G:  
Stability: Nominal  
Adherence: Nominal  
Designated Target DNA Strand: B27  
Affected DNA Strand: B27'_

 _-P4, S3 of attached DNA analysis results_

Cyborg looked up from the slightly aged paper and read the DNA analysis that currently stared back at him from his computer monitor.

Serum B27-G  
Stability:Nominal  
Adherence: Nominal  
Designated Target DNA Strand: B27  
Affected DNA Strand: All

Cyborg slammed the old file down on his desk and held his face in his palms as he began to realize the severity of the situation. After a few minutes passed and he had managed to collect himself, Cyborg stood from his chair and began to pour through old files in search of a resolution to the problem he had successfully identified.

* * *

Dawn broke over Titans tower and one by one the teens made their way into kitchen for their usual breakfast and lounging. As the afternoon began to come around Robin noticed the absence of Cyborg in their usual routine. "Hey, has anyone seen Cyborg this morning?" Robin asked the other titans as he sipped his second cup of coffee.

"Not yet, maybe he was up late doing research for me." Beast boy calmly said as he nibbled nonchalantly at his tofu breakfast.

"Perhaps he is still sleeping? I know that I did no sleep too well last night, maybe he had similar problems." Starfire commented.

The sudden beeping of Robin's communicator cut off his response. Swiftly pulling his communicator from his belt, he flipped open the screen to see a weary looking Cyborg of the small screen. "Robin, are you with the others?"

if Robin was taken aback by Cyborg's exhausted tone and appearance he didn't let it show as he responded. "Yeah, everyone is here. What's going on?"

"I figured out what happened to B, have everyone meet me in the lab." Cyborg's picture disappeared before Robin could say anything.

Shutting his communicator and placing it back in his belt he began to make the announcement but was swiftly cut off by Beast boy. "We all heard him Robin, C'mon no time to waste!" Beast boy led the group as they made their way downstairs to the towers laboratory. Upon entering the room, Robin immediately noticed how disheveled everything had become overnight. Medical books, stacks of older files and miscellaneous laboratory notes were strewn over every flat surface available; and Cyborg looked as though he hadn't slept or even recharged himself the previous night.

Each titan found a seat as Cyborg paced back and forth anxiously before them. Once everyone had settled in Cyborg began to relay the news he had discovered. "Alright guys, let's start." Cyborg said sullenly as he resumed his pacing. "As we all know, B's DNA has always been unstable due to his abilities. Overall this isn't typically a problem simply because his body has found a way to work with it naturally, however a while back his DNA was manipulated by a chemical reaction. The industrial grade chemicals that were spilled on him during our battle with Adonis a few years back caused with DNA to destabilize and mutate, thus creating a new gene that I've since labeled 'B27'. B27 soon evolved at an astronomical rate and released a primal form in Beast boy, obviously we've come to refer to this form as 'The Beast'."

Cyborg stopped pacing and began rubbing his eyes as he continued his explanation. "After identifying the exact gene behind Beast boy's primal form I created a serum that was specifically designed to subdue the gene from being able to act of it's own accord. Beast boy was able to access the gene in dire circumstances, but doing so was extremely taxing on his system. So fast forward to a few days ago and this is where the problem starts. Apparently B's DNA has slowly been evolving and characteristics of the B27 gene have been integrating into the rest of his DNA. As it stands today, Beast boy's entire DNA structure has small bits and pieces of the B27 gene interwoven within it. This has caused the serum I created to begin affecting his entire genetic system instead of the intended single DNA strand B27."

Cyborg paused for a few minutes while looking at his friends, prompting a very confused Beast boy to interject. "Cy, I think I'm following most of this... but what exactly does your serum have to do with what's happening to me?"

"B, the serum was specifically designed to neutralize a targeted strand of your abilities. With the way your DNA has evolved, the serum is now targeting all of your abilities because they all share a part of the B27 strand." Cyborg placed a nearby stool in front of Beast boy and sat down. He placed his hand on his friends shoulder and looked him in the eyes with a look of seriousness that immediately had Beast boy's full attention. "To put it simply, what I originally created to save you from the beast is now attacking your DNA every time you use your powers. Unless we can figure out a way to reverse the serum, using your powers will cause your DNA to break down and eventually your body will completely shut down from the strain."

* * *

So there it is, Cyborg's serum is killing Beast boy.  
Will they find a cure or will Beast boy have to find a way to live the life of a normal citizen?  
Stick around and find out!

See you next update!  
-Mr. Rico


	5. Chapter 5 - Hopeful Tomorrow

**A/N: Hello Everyone! Just wanted to say thanks for the reviews so far, I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the story thus far.**

 **Fair warning however; over the next few weeks updates may become a bit scarce at times. I'm about to move AND start a new job simultaneously so things are getting progressively more hectic. That being said, I'll still do my best to write new chapters and update whenever I get some free time. Just bear with me :)**

 **Alright, enough of my blabbering… to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for monetary gain.**

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Beast boy sat on the edge of his bed in his light less room, silently staring at a framed photograph of the entire team. He sighed sadly and set the frame upon his nearby dresser before falling backwards onto his bed. The events from that afternoon were something he would unfortunately remember for the rest of his days. The Titans had barely received Cyborg's update about Beast boy's condition when the tower alerts began to blare loudly. Mumbo was once again up to no good and trying to rob yet another bank. The Titans sprang into action as per usual, but Beast boy remained in the common room and watched the fight from the big screen.

Although the team was down a man, they managed to take down Mumbo without too much trouble. Beast boy watched each teammate closely as they fought and communicated information when he could, but overall he considered himself of little help. Prior to the titans return home, Beast boy had retreated to his quarters to mull over the news and consider what the future might hold for him. At this point evening had fallen and the tower had grown quiet while a thick blanket of uneasiness covered them all.

A sudden knock of his bedroom door jarred him from his thoughts and was immediately followed by the voice of his fearless leader. "Beast boy, it's Robin; I think we should talk for a few minutes about earlier."

Beast boy sighed quietly as he slowly rose from his bed and made his way to the door. He knew Robin would show up eventually to talk, but most of the conversations Beast boy had imagined them having didn't end well. Beast boy pressed a button and the door glided open quietly as he motioned for Robin to enter.

Robin walked into Beast Boy's room and made a mental note of clean it had become since his last visit. He pulled up a nearby chair and watched as Beast Boy flopped unenthusiastically onto his bed. Taking a seat in the chair facing Beast boy, Robin began the discussion while trying his level best to remove his leader tone. "I spoke with Cyborg about developing a cure. Apparently he had an antidote for the serum when he originally created it, in the event that it didn't react well with your body. Unfortunately, your recent genetic mutations have made the original antidote… Unusable."

Beast boy picked up on Robin's pause immediately and spoke up with a bit of frustration leaking into his voice. "Robin, you need to not be sugar coating things right now. I was told today that I can't use my powers anymore or I die. Whatever hesitation you have about giving it to me straight… just get rid of it. I've heard the bad news and have begun to anticipate the worst case scenarios; whatever you possibly have to tell me couldn't amount to what I've come to expect."

Robin looked at his friend and was almost left speechless at the hopelessness that shown in Beast boy's eyes. Seeing his once joyful and boisterous teammate in such a devastated form made it difficult to continue. "A-Alright, I'll be blunt and spare no detail. Cyborg has been running hundreds of simulations in an effort to modify the original antidote ever since he discovered your diagnosis last night. So far his best case scenario is an antidote with a five percent success rate."

"Okay, what happens the other ninety-five percent of the time? I'm guessing that it's not good, otherwise you would have started with that." Beast boy said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're right, it's not a good result. Simply put everything about this situation is extremely volatile and, if not handled correctly, will cause irreparable harm. In it's current form, the antidote has a ninety-five percent chance to dissolve the B27 gene from your DNA completely. This would apparently lead to a lot of pain and, mostly likely, death… hence the term 'Unusable'"

Beast boy chuckled slightly, "Any chance tin man has a time frame or is this going to become an ongoing affair?"

"Obviously Cyborg has been going full tilt in trying to get an antidote that won't completely destroy you; but until we can get a little closer than five percent, we're anticipating this to be an ongoing affair." Robin watched his friend sigh slightly and gently place his face in his palms. Robin gently reached out an placed a hand on the changeling's shoulder. "We're going to fix this Beast boy, you just have to be patient."

Beast boy lifted his head and looked to his leader with emotionless eyes. "I've had a lot to deal with today Rob, you mind if we pick this up tomorrow or something? I'd kind of like to get some sleep."

Robin slowly stood from his chair before tucking it away under a nearby desk. As he made his way to the door and opened it, he spoke to Beast boy with small inklings of sorrow bleeding into his voice. "Get some sleep Beast boy, tomorrow will be a better day." As Robin walked into the hallway; closing Beast boy's door behind him, he could only hope that tomorrow really would be a better day.

* * *

Deep beneath the earth, in a cave turned hideout sat a lone figure before a large flickering screen that was currently displaying a recent battle between the Titans and Mumbo Jumbo. The figure watched intently from behind his mask; taking in every movement, every slip-up, every breath that the titans took. He slowly stood and began to pace his make-shift fortress while speaking quietly to himself.

"These infernal Titans have been allowed to run unchecked for far too long. In my absence they've begun to spread; Titans East, Titans West, Honorary Titans… They've multiplied faster than a virus. They all connect back here though, back to the original five Titans." The figure stood before a large board that currently had a photo of each of the five titans tacked to it's surface. Accompanying each photo was sheet after sheet of facts about the individual titan, from possible alias' to known weaknesses.

"These five are the true leaders of all the titans, they always have been. Once I destroy them, the others will become leaderless and fall in their own time. Play time is over Titans." With one swift swing, five razor sharp kunai flew from the figures hands and embedded themselves into each of the titans photos. The figure calmly turned on his heel and began to make his way further into the cave. "You're enemies have become weak and unworthy of your effort Titans, They'll never match up to the original."

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 **Sorry this is such a short chapter everyone, but the story is just starting to ramp up!**

 **Stay tuned and leave a review so I know what's going through your mind. :)**

 **-Mr. Rico**


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